The chairperson of the House Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development has proposed the creation of an integrated, computerized, web-based commodity supply inventory and registry linking all micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.
Under House Bill No. 7400, Manila Teachers partylist Rep. Virgilio Lacson sought the setting up of the MSMEs information system in all cities and municipalities to provide an easy-to-access local and global real time information for MSMEs products and/or services in a move to create a wider range of market linkages among enterprises and consumers.
“The application shall have a customisable dashboard accessible only to registered MSMEs clients and contains the MSMEs’ profile, products, and/or services, details, store location and store hours. The database to be created shall be up-to-date and from the grassroots. it shall clear the way between suppliers and the market,” he said.
The House leader explained that through a synchronized MSMEs information system, the national government shall have access to real-time MSMEs information which can rationalize the objectives and policy directives in the MSMEs sector.
“The measure will naturally streamline training and seminars in the management of business operations. It will also ensure that the financial support of the government to the local MSMEs shall be efficiently utilized and distributed to registered MSMEs,” he said.
“Consumers will greatly benefit by knowing the availability of goods and/or services within their locality, while the government will be informed as to on-goings within our economy, and be reliably informed leading to more efficient and effective legislation or regulation,” Lacson stressed.
HB 7400 mandates all cities and municipalities to establish a MSMEs Information System, which shall serve as a dynamic online computer database where information on the demand for specific enterprise products and/or services is gathered simultaneously with the production data from MSMEs in every barangay.
The measure provides that all cities and municipalities shall encourage and facilitate the free registration of all MSMEs transacting within their respective area in the information system.
Lacson’s measure tasks the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to allocate funding for the operation and maintenance of the information system, and approve the prioritized interventions by the regional offices and allocate corresponding funding.
The DTI is also mandated to collaborate with other agencies for the creation of market linkages in the domestic and international markets, and provide safety nets in the import and export of MSMEs products in order to support MSMEs.
Under HB 7400, the DTI Secretary shall monitor and ensure the compliance of all cities and municipalities, and shall, as soon as practicable, establish a centralised MSMEs Information System that will integrate and link all existing information systems in the country.
The measure provides that the amount necessary for the effective implementation of the proposed Act shall be charged to the annual appropriations of the local government units (LGUs).